Hire of the week: Laura Sutton

2016-10-24T05:00:00Z

Estates Gazette

​What attracted you to your new post?Several things: the opportunity to specialise in high level logistic’s occupier work, the area of work that I enjoy the most; the culture at JLL; working with the market leader Mike Alderton and the coffee seems pretty good.

What is the best book you have read and why?

I don’t have an overall favourite. It’s usually the last decent book I have read which in this case is one I read to my children: David Walliam’s Mr Stink – brilliantly funny and kind.

What is the best holiday you have been on and why?

Venezuela to climb mount Roraima, a flat top tepuis mountain with my husband Phil. It was spectacular, properly adventurous and even dangerous at times. We turned up in Caracus and bought a bus ticket to Santa Elena from a complete stranger and went with it. Sleeping on top of the mountain without another soul for miles was the highlight. Exhausting but amazing.

Have you had a hair-raising encounter you would like to spill the details about?

Apart from my first shed networking ‘do’? Realising I was a foot away from a rattling rattle snake on said trip and 10 hours from the nearest town / antidote.

Tell us something not many people know about you…

I hate flying. But I do it anyway. Just don’t sit next to me if you see me on a plane.

Apart from being in property (of course!), what did you want to be when you grew up and why?

A pathologist. Probably down to the TV show Quincy but also biology was my favourite subject. Sadly physics and chemistry were an anathema so it wasn’t to be.

Who is / are your musical idols and why?

Mark Ronson as he makes everybody dance.

If you could be MD of a company, which one would it be and why?

I’ve been doing a lot of work recently for industrial and distribution businesses that will have to relocate due to HS2. I’ve been shocked by how uniquely unfair and onerous the process is for these companies both in terms of the lack of early effective engagement and the financial assistance on offer to them under CPO legislation and caselaw, particularly in the case of railway schemes. Ultimately the Department for Transport is responsible for setting the policies that are available to businesses and I feel these could be substantially improved. Whilst a highly improbable situation, if I were a Government Minister, I would like to challenge how this is handled to ensure that disturbed businesses are treated with meaningful support and proper compensation.

What's the best thing about working in property?

The people, the variety, the buzz. It’s challenging and fun. The pay isn’t bad either.